It would be great to say there was a singular best tool for cutting a hedge, and everyone could buy that product and make their life much easier. Sadly, the best tool for one person or one type of hedge isn’t helpful for others or different types of hedges.
This guide considers the best tools for each type of hedge and the challenges people face when trimming hedges. You’ll also see tips for the best hedge trimming equipment and accessories, which make cutting hedges a more straightforward task than without access to the best tool.
Secateurs Are A Great Way To Cut Small Branches
Finding the right tool for the job is essential, and at times, people are enticed by devices which are too powerful for the task at hand. You don’t always need a powerful cutting tool, especially if you have fair or small hedges.
A perfect example of the ideal tool for a specific job is when you need to cut leaves, branches and stalks.
Pruning Shears Are Ideal For Young Plants And Light Branches
Handheld secateurs give you the power you need when pruning flowers and dealing with slightly overgrown hedges, and as long as you use common sense, they are a very safe option. Also, pruning encourages new growth, so trimming regularly enhances new shoots with less effort.
If all you need is a convenient option to tidy up your hedge when required, secateurs are the best tool for the job when it comes to hedge maintenance.
Tree Pruners Provide You With More Power, Ideal To Cut Hedges And Branches
Of course, cutting and trimming with a small pair of handheld shears will take far too long for many jobs. When dealing with a medium-sized hedge or thicker branches requiring more effort, you need a step up, and tree pruners are the ideal option.
Tree pruners come in all shapes and sizes, so you’ll have options to consider if you’re looking for a particular grip or shape. Pruners feature sharp teeth so that they can make light work of troublesome branches and limbs.
Safety Features Are Common With The Best Hedge Trimmers
Comparable to a handheld saw many of these devices come with safety features as standard, such as a safety lock, making them an ideal choice for casual and experienced users. If you can reach the limbs and hedge ends you wish to remove, and you don’t need too much power to cut through them, tree pruners are an excellent addition to your arsenal.
Telescopic Tree Pruners Allow You To Reach Tall Hedges And High Branches
While tree pruners are an excellent tool on many occasions, they aren’t the best when you work at height. If you’d rather not stand on a ladder, invest in a telescopic tree pruner, which provides you with the convenient cutting action of a pruner, but at a greater height.
Sometimes called a pole pruning saw, some of these tools allow you to reach up to 24 feet, ideal if you have a tall hedge. An adjustable cutting head helps you trim hedges of all heights, and makes thorny hedges less of a struggle.
Telescopic tree pruners are an excellent purchase for people looking to trim tall hedges with a lightweight device and who don’t want to use a ladder.
Shears Offer Control, Ensuring Your Hedge Looks Fantastic
Trimming a hedge isn’t just about maintaining the health of plants, trees and hedges; it is often about creating the best impression. If you have artistic flair which allows you to cultivate hedges into a great style or unique design, you need a cutting tool which offers complete control of the cutting process.
A Small Garden Doesn’t Need The Same Job Or Tools As Most Gardens
When you are shaping hedges or presenting a formal hedge, you’ll be glad of a handheld device that is easy to move, even in tight spaces.
Shears help cut smaller hedges at ground level, but for many, shears are best in shaping a hedge that grabs attention for all the right reasons.
Hedge Trimmers Are Ideal When You Need Good Results In A Hurry
For some people, gardening is a great excuse to enjoy the fresh air, see some sunshine, and work up a sweat. If gardening is a leisure activity, you are okay with using time consuming tools like secateurs to maintain the garden.
However, if you have limited time and want to use your leisure hours on other activities, you need a device that trims hedges quickly and effectively. Many brands claim to make the best hedge trimmers, but for you, the best hedge trimmer is one that is affordable, effective, and makes trimming hedges simple, even when you have tough branches.
There Is A Great Range Of Hedge Trimmers To Consider
A hedge trimmer is an ideal solution; these devices come in various power options. Battery powered, electrical and petrol powered trimmers are available, so whatever your budget or preferred energy source, you’ll find something that makes light work of a hedge.
Petrol Hedger Trimmers Are Often The Professionals’ Choice
Even though you have a range of options to consider with hedge trimmers if you manage large hedges or a lot of hedges, the power and dependability of a petrol hedge trimmer is the best option.
This is the sort of tool commonly used by professional arborists and people tasked with maintaining a significant number of hedges on a property. If you have to remove the thicket branches, you need cutting blades that are up to the job.
Cordless Hedge Trimmers Carry A Significant Safety Advantage
A significant advantage of these devices is that cordless models allows more freedom and boosts safety. Some people are concerned about cutting through an electrical cable when using a hedge trimmer, which could have devastating consequences.
This is why investing in a petrol hedge trimmer isn’t only brilliant when you cut a lot of hedges, but it removes a risk that you don’t need to have.
Chainsaws Are Fantastic When You Deal With Heavy Branches And Trunks With Your Hedges
Everyone looking to trim or cut a hedge is fine without a tool that is as powerful as a chainsaw. This is a professional-level device that is dangerous when misused. Of course, it also powers its way through the thickest branches and overgrown hedges, so if you need heavy-duty support, consider investing in a chainsaw if you think you need it.
Whatever hedge trimming tools you use to trim hedges, you’ll find them a hugely effective way to speed up the process without compromising on the quality of work.
Long-Reach Chainsaws Are Suitable When You Need Heavy Cutting Power For A High Hedge
Dealing with heavy trunks, thick branches, and growth is one thing, but if you are dealing with these problems at a height way above your head, you need a specialist tool with telescopic handles.
The Sawing Function Is Second To None With Heavy Duty Power Tools
A long-reach chainsaw gives you all the cutting power of a chainsaw but with the added ability to reach far above your head. If your hedges tower above you and can’t be tackled with a pair of shears or trimmer, a longer-reach chainsaw is an innovative and safe option.
Many people are concerned about using a chainsaw on a ladder, especially if they aren’t confident working with heights or don’t have good balance. You can remove this risk by investing in a chainsaw which reaches for you, ensuring you remain firmly on the ground.
Tools That Allow You To Work Safely At A Height When Trimming A Hedge
While a longer-reach chainsaw helps cut high branches while standing on the ground, it isn’t the only option.
A step stool, which is ideal for a slight boost when working on a flat surface with a hedge or branches just above your head height
Ladders and step-ladders are suitable options for one-off jobs requiring you to cut above head height, but you shouldn’t consider this solution a permanent one. A risk is associated with working on ladders, which heightens when you have a sharp cutting device in your hand.
Scaffold towers are helpful when you have large hedges or when you are working on a slope. This sort of device usually requires professional installation, so it isn’t a quick or affordable solution. Still, when you need dependable support to work at a height, this provides peace of mind every time.
Protective Equipment Is Useful When Working With Sharp Tools And Cutting Hedges
Safety should always be a priority. In addition to hedge-cutting tools like saws or trimmers, consider investing in personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure you work safely when tidying a hedge.
Protective gloves help to protect your hands and can minimise the damage of a cutting tool if an accident occurs. Also, if the gloves have a good grip on them, you’ll be able to hold the tool tighter, helping you avoid slips or accidents, and you can use more power when using the device.
Eye protection, such as goggles, is useful when cutting hedges, and you have leaves, stems, stalks and branches flying off. You might not think these small cuttings can cause damage, but you might suffer a serious injury if they catch you in the eye. A minor investment in reliable goggles can prevent catastrophes from happening.
Ear defenders are useful when using a loud trimmer or chainsaw because prolonged exposure to noisy devices like this can damage your ears and reduce the quality of your hearing.
Safety shoes protect your feet against falling shrubbery or if you drop the tool. Knowing your feet are well protected in an accident is a great comfort to many people.
Other safety types of equipment to consider include high-vis clothing, significantly cutting hedges close to a busy road and a safety harness, helpful if you carry a heavy device such as a chainsaw or heavy-duty trimmer.
You should also consider sharpening stones to keep your tools sharp, ideal when you need to shape hedges or cut in a straight line. You should also consider tools like:
- A rake
- A leaf blower
- A shovel
- A shredder
When you have a large garden, making the tidying process simpler is essential, and there are many tools which speed up the final job of the hedge cutting process.
Is There A Difference Between A Hedge Trimmer And A Hedge Cutter?
For many people, these terms are interchangeable, but there is an accepted difference in the industry. A hedge trimmer is more readily associated with lighter work, such as bushes or branches. A hedge trimmer is more than adequate if you’re carrying out regular maintenance work, shaping shrubbery or generally tidying up your area.
However, a hedge cutter is more suitable for your needs if you deal with thick bushes or large branches. For more information about the difference between a hedge cutter and a hedge trimmer, you can check out our article.
There is no denying the impact the right hedge trimming equipment has on your work. Whether you opt for electric trimmers, hedge shears or something simple, the right tool helps you work faster, safer and more effectively. When you have the most appropriate hedge trimming tools at your disposal, even the toughest of hedges poses no challenge.
